Complaint 'surprises' former councillor

planning development in Edinburgh, when all he had been doing was

explaining his support for the scheme.

Mr Paul Martin, who resigned from Edinburgh District Council earlier

this year to pursue a parliamentary career, said he was unaware that a

fellow Tory had contacted police.

This followed an approach he made to the regional councillor in

advance of a meeting earlier this month to consider planning consent for

a supermarket on the green belt at Burdiehouse.

The Crown Office has been sent a report on the circumstances by the

procurator-fiscal who received a police report last week. A decision

will be made by Crown counsel on whether further investigations are

required.

A spokesman at the procurator-fiscal's office, Mr Kenneth Maciver,

said yesterday he had sent a report to Crown counsel: ''It would be fair

to say that it would not be possible for the case to be advanced at

present. It requires an indication of how much further action is needed.

''It is not a report for the prosecution of any particular individual.

It is a report on the whole circumstances.

''The decision which has to be made now by Crown counsel is what

further investigation will be made.''

Edinburgh District Council's planning committee had given the go-ahead

for the Burdiehouse development and Mr Martin, a member of the

committee, said he had supported the scheme. He seconded the motion to

grant planning consent.

Planning approval was given against the advice of the director of

planning and the chairman of the committee and only two weeks after

councillors accepted a local plan recommending no such development in

the area.

Lothian Regional Council then ''called in'' the application because of

its implications for planning.

The official report to the regional planning authority, recommending

refusal, said the development would be a major intrusion into the

narrowest parts of the green belt.

Opponents argued the district's decision breached every planning rule

in the book but there was strong local support for the scheme. The

Glasgow developer, Mr William Jones, was offering a #500,000 training

trust for locals if planning permission was granted.

However, the regional authority unanimously overturned planning

consent earlier this month.

Following the meeting, The Herald learned that a Conservative member

of the committee informed the Labour chairman and the leader of the Tory

group of a complaint he had made to police.

This concerned an approach made to him in connection with the

Burdiehouse development. Police confirmed that they were investigating

the complaint and a report on the circumstances was submitted to the

procurator-fiscal last week.

Despite having resigned as a councillor earlier this year, Mr Martin

said he had felt strongly enough about the development to speak to Tory

councillors in advance of the regional meeting to consider planning:

''I explained to them why we had supported it on the district council

and why we felt the job advantages were good.''

''I think a number of us felt that the planning officials on the

district were rather too strong in opposition to the development. It is

quite good when you can persuade people to vote against advice.''

Asked why he had pursued the scheme when he had no formal connection

with either council, he replied: ''A number of us felt very strongly

about it. I can't remember who. Half of our group on the district

supported it at planning.''

Mr Martin said he had not acted in any consultancy capacity for the

developer.

The Conservative member who complained to police has refused to

discuss it.

Mr Martin unsuccessfully contested the Labour-held Edinburgh Central

seat for the Conservatives at the General Election.